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Topic Summary

Posted by: CHESSIEMIKE

Posted on: Apr 15th, 2017, 11:11pm

The Queen will be out and running in North Carolina and Virginia again this year. Try to get a ride or at least make it track side to see the action. The first trip was Spencer, NC to Lynchburg, VA on 4/8/17. I caught a shot at Whittles, VA. CHESSIEMIKE

Posted by: CHESSIEMIKE

Posted on: Apr 16th, 2017, 4:01pm

4/9/17 found The J at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Yes, I said AIRPORT! Well, the NS Charlotte IMF Terminal at the airport. I was unable to go, but my wife was more than happy to go without me. She got this shot of a Via Air Embraer ERJ-145 on taxi way going over the tracks. Photo used with permission. CHESSIEMIKE

Posted by: CHESSIEMIKE

Posted on: May 11th, 2017, 10:37pm

4/22 & 4/23 were back to back trips from Greensboro, NC to Roanoke, Va. using the old Virginian line into Roanoke. They picked up the old line at Hurt, VA. Here is a shot of the train leaving Danville, VA northbound on the 23rd. Also they were leaving no doubt that this is a steam powered train. CHESSIEMIKE

Posted by: CHESSIEMIKE

Posted on: May 14th, 2017, 5:47pm

4/30/17 found The J back in Spencer to celebrate the restoration of Western & Atlantic Railroad #12 named "Texas" (Danforth, Cooke & Co.1856) Since the N&W #611 Class J was built in 1950, they touted the event as 100 Years of Steam. Don't let the photo deceive you, the steam is from #611, not #12. It was a cosmetic, not an operational restoration to #12. The Texas gained fame a few years ago when it was used to chase down a stolen locomotive named the General. Anyone remember what that was all about? CHESSIEMIKE

Posted by: CHESSIEMIKE

Posted on: May 14th, 2017, 6:08pm

This view gives a better size comparison. CHESSIEMIKE

Posted by: George_Harris

Posted on: May 15th, 2017, 1:43am

4/30/17 found The J back in Spencer to celebrate the restoration of Western & Atlantic Railroad #12 named "Texas" (Danforth, Cooke & Co.1856) Since the N&W #611 Class J was built in 1950, they touted the event as 100 Years of Steam. Don't let the photo deceive you, the steam is from #611, not #12. It was a cosmetic, not an operational restoration to #12. The Texas gained fame a few years ago when it was used to chase down a stolen locomotive named the General. Anyone remember what that was all about? CHESSIEMIKE

Surely you jest. Thought the event leading to its fame was well known, and least by anyone with railroad and their history interests.

This was referred to as the "Great Locomotive Chase" where in 1862 a bunch of yankee spies referred to as the Andrew's Raiders stole the General at a point a short distance out of Atlanta on the W&A (now CSX) line between Atlanta and Chattanooga with the objective of burning bridges on this line to interfere with Confederate supply lines. The conductor of the train the General was heading, a Mr. Fuller, began to chase it down ON FOOT, then got use of a single drivered locomotive called the Yonah, ran it until it came up to a train being pulled by the Texas. He commandeered the Texas, which was facing south. He continued the chase in the Texas, it running backwards keeping close enough to the General that they were unable to get any fires going successfully. A light rain helped. Shortly south of Chattanooga they were able to overtake the General. Andrews and most of the raiders were captured. Since even though nominally in the Union Army they were in civilian clothes they were regarded as spies.

The General was displayed in the W&A / NC&StL / L&N station in Chattanooga for many years, and the Texas was displayed in a location near where the chase started, can't remember the name of that place right now.

The General was removed from the Chattanooga station, taken to the L&N's South Louisville shops and restored to operating condition in 1961-2. On the 100th anniversary of the chase,the chase was replicated with the General pulling a single wood coach, with two special trains following. The following trains passed the General so it could be met by their crowd when it arrived in Chattanooga. Subsequently the General toured much of the L&N system for display and running short excursions.

The appearance of the General and the Texas is not that of 1862, but that subsequent to a rebuild in the early 1870's.

Where the General is today, I don't know.

The W&A to this day is owned by the state of Georgia and leased to the CSX and its predecessors.

Posted by: Henry

Posted on: May 15th, 2017, 2:10am

I can't help but wonder what Andrew's Raiders would have thought of the 611 chasing down the General

Posted by: George_Harris

Posted on: May 15th, 2017, 10:42am

I have a feeling that the 611 would not have gotten very far on the track as it was in 1862. The chase went on for about 8 hours, and that was running all out best they could do. The passenger train schedules in 1962 were between 3 and 4 hours.

Why yes, I do. ;>)

Where the General is today, I don't know.

Kennesaw, GA. Here is a link:

CHESSIEMIKE

Posted by: George_Harris

Posted on: May 16th, 2017, 12:47am

Thanks,Chessiemike.

I saw the General in the Chattanooga station in the mid 1950's as a kid when our family took a trip to a few points in Middle Tennessee to see some of my father's family, and to See Rock City (Remember those signs painted on barns in many places?)

I rode behind it in Memphis in 1962 when it was on display in Union Station and made a loop once or twice a day on L&N tracks, the loop including running on the ICRR passenger main along the Mississippi River Bluff. A move that would be impossible today on many levels, such as the L&N north line in Memphis is gone, Union Station is gone, and I can't imagine CSX doing anything similar.

Posted by: ClydeDET

Posted on: May 20th, 2017, 9:57pm

Took a law-suit to get the General moved down to Kennesaw. Wife and I visited the museum there last trip back east -- well worth the stop.

Texas has been recently taken out of basement of Cyclorama in Grant park in Atlanta and moved after cosmetic refurbishment including repaint in solid black. Some don't think well of that (including me, preferred the quasi-ACW livery). Can't recall the new location, but not co-located with the General.

Posted by: CHESSIEMIKE

Posted on: Jul 8th, 2017, 11:23pm

5/6/17 found the J making a run to Petersburg, VA. I was able to get a unique vantage point for my shot down by the station. I was standing on top of a fire truck. CHESSIEMIKE

Posted by: ClydeDET

Posted on: Jul 20th, 2017, 10:05pm

Checked on the Texas -after the cosmetic restoration at Spencer was returned to Atlanta to be part of the Atlanta History Center. The General is in a nice little museum (inside display so it is protected from weather and vandals) at Kennesaw, right next to the tracks it once operated on.

Problem for both locomotives is location in or near Atlanta, where the traffic is just obscene.